Domaine Gramiller, Rasteau Vaucluse 2023, Rhone Valley, France

Tasting Note

Gloriously fruity, elegant, unoaked Cotes du Rhone. A nose of baked plums dusted with cinnamon and brown sugar, violets, blackberries and hibiscus. There's an almost chocolatey element to it on the palate with dried orange zest and a long, bright finish that is utterly moreish.

Grapes

50% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 20% Mourvèdre.

How to Drink

An autumnal warmer that goes perfectly with rich cassoulet and slow cooked stews.

Producer Information

Frédéric Julien used to be Vice-President of the Cooperative Cellar of Rasteau and started his own domaine in 2017 in the village of Vaucluse. Self-taught, with the help of friends and neighours Jerome Bressy, Gourt de Martens and Helen Durand, Ogier and others, Frederic is a perfectionist. He's thrown away many a barrel and vintage before getting to where he is now, and utterly nailing the no added SO2 cuvees.

The estate takes its name from a part of Rasteau called Gramiller – a terroir of many soils where they have 2.5 ha of vines. Since his beginnings in vine growing some twenty years ago, Frédéric Julien has always been a big supporter of organic farming and a strong believer in the importance of  farming with nature, rather than against it. It's no surprise that they chose a small gecko, or tarente as the emblem of the estate which you can spot on their labels and corks. As Frederic comments; "it is a creature that is constantly present around the Mediterranean, and it is very useful in the natural balance because it eats flies and mosquitoes”.

Production Information

Grapes are kept in whole bunches, from a parcel with extremely diverse soils - sandstone, sandy-clay marl, blue clay and pebbles. With decent elevation and these fascinating soils, the Grenache has beautiful purity and a really unique character. As is  Frédéric's way, no oak is used here, instead maturation is 9 months in concrete to create a clean and really nicely textured wine. This is pure, low yield Rasteau with bright red fruit, raspberries and juniper, garrigue herbs and a long, hyper-silky finish.